Support for people with autism

General Health and Wellbeing

Sometimes you will visit a healthcare professional and be asked a lot of questions about how you are coping and how your general health and wellbeing is. This can be a bit daunting at times, so the Council for Disabled Children’s website have created a checklist to help you.

Transitions and Preparing for Adulthood

Transitions planning must be initiated in year 9 for children/young people with an EHC plan as a statutory requirement. The “transitions pathway will link to the EHC plan for those who have one, building on EHC plan outcomes, with the focus on preparation for adulthood. We recommend that the transitions pathway is used as a best practice tool; regardless of whether the child/young person has an EHC plan or not. However, only EHC plan related pathways will be subject to Local Authority scrutiny and review.
The pathway has been designed to move away from an educational focus, using a person centred approach, to enable children and young people to have better life outcomes including good health and wellbeing, meaningful employment, independent living and housing, friends, relationships and community inclusion.

Moving on and preparing for Adulthood

Essential Information for parents/carers of young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) when moving into adulthood

Leaving full time education can be worrying for most young people but for young people who have special educational needs and or disabilities and their parents/carers it can be a very difficult time, filled with uncertainties about the future, wondering what opportunities will be available and where to go for information and support to make the right decisions for a good future life.

Raising aspirations and planning for the future needs to start at an early age in order to help young people reach their goals. Often young people with SEND experience barriers to aiming high, taking risks and achieving what they want in life. This could be through lack of opportunities, too much focus on care and support needs, a lack of self confidence or maybe because the young person’s dreams have always been thought of as ‘wishful thinking’ rather than something to really aim for.

The information in this guide will help the parents/carers of young people with SEND to support them in planning for the future, making decisions about where to live, what to do in the day, how to spend leisure time, to sort out money matters, and will signpost to further information and support services.

The Transitions Pathway

The transitions pathway was designed and co-produced with children and young people in accordance with the SEND Reforms. It focusses on young people ages 14-25; at a time when they start preparing themselves for making important choices beyond school, for the future.

The transitions pathway will link to the EHC Plan for those who have one, building on existing EHCP outcomes, with the focus on preparation for adulthood.

The pathway is designed to move away from an educational focus with a person centred approach to enable children and young people to have better life outcomes including

Young People’s Learning Provision (YPLP)

The Young People’s Learning Provision (YPLP) provides Education courses across Lincolnshire, and it was originally based in Grantham and has been operating from the Earlesfield youth centre since 2003, recently it has expanded and now includes the former ‘Promoting Employment Team’.

“We can offer a bespoke learning programme in a small, safe and friendly environment which is learner centred and designed to meet your individual needs and support you towards your long-term goals.”

Citizens Advice

Shaw Trust also works out of most of the Job Centres in Lincolnshire to provide employment support for those with disabilities or health conditions from age 18. They are known to the Disability Employment Advisers who act as the statutory referee

This guide is designed to identify and exemplify the factors which support effective transition for young people with autism when they leave school. It has a particular focus on what general colleges of further education can do to increase the number of young people with autism making a successful transition into their provision. The guide draws on the lessons learned from the Finished at School Programme (FaS Programme), a two year Department for Education funded project led by Ambitious about Autism in partnership with the Association of Colleges and the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen), operating from April 2013 until March 2015.